Do you see the gaze fixed in bronze? This is the Monument d’Eugène Motte. It stands as a tribute to a man who shaped Roubaix. He was an industrialist and a mayor. The Monument d’Eugène Motte is more than stone. It is a story etched in time.
The Motte family was deeply rooted in the textile industry. They were active in northern France. Their influence spread through Roubaix and Tourcoing. The first mention of the Motte family dates back to 1580. It was found in the baptism registers of the Saint-Christophe church of Tourcoing.
Eugène Motte was born in 1860 in Roubaix. He died in the same city in 1932. He was a textile industrialist and a French politician. Eugène Motte followed in his father’s footsteps. His father was the industrialist Alfred Motte-Grimonprez. Eugène was also the nephew of Louis Motte-Bossut. He was the brother-in-law of Eugène Mathon. Eugène Motte became a powerful businessman himself. He was the president of the Roubaix-Tourcoing Chamber of Commerce. He also presided over the Crédit du Nord from 1928 to 1932. He administered the Compagnie des chemins de fer du Nord. He also managed the Compagnie internationale de Suez. His businesses expanded in Roubaix. They also reached Russia and Poland.
In 1902, the Catholic newspaper Le Pèlerin described him. He was an industrialist. He was the son of an industrialist. He was a child of Roubaix. Married at twenty-four he was at forty-one head of nine factories. They provided bread to 8000 workers. He was the father of eight children. He had founded two significant factories in Poland.
Eugène Motte knew the workers. He spoke their language and their local dialect. Initially he was not inclined towards a political career. Yet he served as a general councilor from 1895 to 1907. He was a deputy for the Nord region from 1898 to 1906. He became the mayor of Roubaix from 1902 to 1912. For a long time he was a local opponent of the socialist Jules Guesde.
In 1903 he founded the Fédération républicaine. This Federation brought together moderate republicans. They were liberals of the center-right. They were hostile to the Bloc des gauches. He briefly took over the presidency. This was for the Union du commerce et de l’industrie pour la défense sociale. It was a politically engaged employers’ association. It opposed the economic program of left-wing parties. He was invited to speak to the members of the Union. He presented his actions in Roubaix.
During his time as mayor of Roubaix he oversaw the final developments of Parc Barbieux. He also saw the construction of the new Hôtel de Ville. The Exposition internationale du Nord de la France took place in 1911. Criticisms about the cost of this exhibition contributed. They contributed to Eugène Motte’s defeat in the 1912 municipal elections. The socialist Jean-Baptiste Lebas won instead.
When the Germans occupied Roubaix he made himself a prisoner. The Germans demanded hostages from among the notables. He was later released. During the occupation of Roubaix by the Germans he showed patriotism. He refused to make bags intended to protect German trenches. He was imprisoned in the Roubaix baths. These baths had been turned into a prison. He was interned in the Güstrow camp in Germany in 1915. He escaped and returned to Belgium. There he organized the supply of occupied France.
The Monument d’Eugène Motte you see before you was created in 1935. It was designed by sculptor Raoul Bénard and architect Gustave Poubel. The simple geometric lines dominate the monument. The two figures represent an allegory of the city of Roubaix. They represent Hermès the god of commerce.
Eugène Motte’s legacy lives on. He was an influential figure in Roubaix. This monument stands as a reminder of his contributions.